[rogar]

I have a .50 Traditions buckhunter pistol, 14" w/ muzzle brake. Been trying different loads and the only thing that has given me any consistency good enough to hunt with are TC Maxi-ball 370 grains with 60grains of pinnacle 3f, I'm able to place three shots off hand 6" group at fifty yards with that load. I want to hunt Hogs with this, will it work on 150-200 lb. hogs?

[Pancho]

try the heavy powerbelts and start at 60 gr.moving up 5 gr. at a time until your group spreads beyond your expectations. Once you lose your expected group increasing the powder will only worsen group even more. As a guess I think you'll end up with a charge somewhere between 70 and 80 gr.
I've never hog hunted what expected range do you think you'll incounter?

[rogar]

Most of my shots have been under 50yrds. I'll try the power belts, thanks.

[DixieTexian]

With proper shot placement (hogs is different than deer) it should work. I would try to be conservative and keep them to close shots.

[rogar]

It's thick brush country I hunt in, so shots are generally under fifty yards. The last hog I took at 30. I wlk through the woods a lot to get to the animals, so i'm concerned about the projectiles other than prb and sabots moving away from the powder if I have to jump a log or other jarring motions.
Should i be concerned with that?

[DixieTexian]

I'd try and keep shots within the 30 yard range with a black powder pistol for conservativeness sake, but hogs are a huge problem, and I wouldn't feel too bad at causing them a bit of grief at longer ranges.

[Mark whiz]

First off, the original load with the maxis WILL kill a hog (unless you're talking the monster Russian variety). My son took a 125 lb ferral boar with my 1858 Rem clone using 30gr of Goex 3fg and a conical bullet of around 140gr. That shot penetrated all the way thru the chest and then out through the opposite lower arm as well - pretty impressive I thought. Your 60gr load as twice the power and weight and should do wonders on the under 50yds shots you have.

You do need to be concerned with the bullet moving off of the powder when you do a lot of moving around while hunting. Just about any bullet (except tight sabots) can easily move off the powder a bit, so you'll want a short rod to tamp down the bullet right before shooting to make sure it is seated up against the powder well.

[Pancho]

I've never hunted hogs but I understand they can be tough and dangerous. Are you intending on carrying a back up gun? Mark whiz made me think of it when he talked about his son taking one with a 58 Rem. at least he had 5 shots to work with. I bet a hog could cover 30 yards pretty quick if he was wounded and pissed.

[Pancho]

Also, considering what you said about jarring the round off the powder. If that is the case I'd forget Powerbelts. They load so easily that they recommend that you shoot a fouling shot to keep the round from moving.

[Mark whiz]

Poncho's got it right on the powerbelts - they should be treated as a conical (a loose-fitting conical at that) as far as coming off the powder during gun movement.

Hogs can indeed be ornrey and dangerous (you ought to see some of the video I have taken of my boys and other fellow hunters). Having something as a backup is good idea, in this case maybe a centerfire pistol of some sort - it might even be necessary to put down a wounded animal rather than having to reload the buckhunter.
I really haven't had much trouble with hog violence when just stalking them, but if you're on them with dogs - they literally fight to the death. :uhoh:

[Macmac]

I hunted a wild variety in Fla... With a single shot I would want wings for a back up... failing a set of good wings, a real big bowie comes to mind..

When I hunted there, my partner used just that Bowie, with no gun. He said real men hunt this way, and only this way.

Me: :what: I never got off the horse!

[Seafarer12]

Considering I use to hunt hogs with a 22 mag. I would believe a 50 cal pistol would do just fine.

[DixieTexian]

I never killed a hog while hunting with anything but a knife, but that is because I have only really seriously hunted them with dogs. If you can, it's nice to just catch them live if you have dogs. I wouldn't worry about them coming after you if you make a good shot on a hog that isn't too big and ornery. With a single shot pistol, it might be a good idea to just let the mean looking ones go unless you are up in a tree stand or something.

[rogar]

I appreciate everyone's concern, I know how dangerous they can be. I used to bowhunt with a 55lb recurve and been charged plenty of times to know that a backup weapon is very important.
I've killed em before using my TC hawken 50 with conicals and prb's but i never doubted that could get the job done. My concern was with the load I was talking about in the Buckhunter: 300+ bullets 60 grns of powder but kept under 50 yards. I know that shot placement is crucial, but these things are a little on the tough side.

[Pancho]

Saboted rounds are hands down the most accurate but you aren't going to get a second shot. You've got a better chance at a second and a third shot with a bow. By the way what does that wild boar meat taste like? Makes my mouth water just to think about it.

[Mark whiz]

I usually throw my hog meat in my smoker and give it 4 or 5 hours and it comes out juicy and flavorable. Bigger boars can be REAL gamey though and are usually better turned into sausage, but up to say 130lb a ferral boar can be cut into roasts, hams, etc and cooked with little concern for being too musky.
Now a sow makes for damn fine eating regardless - smoking, slow cooking, roasting ............. you name it. :D

[tallpaul]

the statement that sabots are hands down the most accurate is pure BS... Ya don't see sabots in the benchrest game ;) They have their place but are not always or hands down more accurate. I have seen good ole maxiballs outshoot quite a few new fangled boolits ;)

I would not fear hogs with the original posters load and bullet.

[Pancho]

You got me tallpaul. I should have learned by now that I should never make a blanket statement.

[Seafarer12]

What is the twist rate of the pistol? If it isn't fast enough the Sabot won't do much good. Sobots are accurate in a gun that is designed for them. If it has a 1 in 60 twist they are a waste of money.

[rogar]

1 in 20"

[Seafarer12]

That ought to work for sabots if you can get enough velocity out of it. My 45 caliber flintlock rifle is a 1 in 60. Round ball is the only thing it can shoot well.

You might try getting some sabots and some hundgun rounds to go in them. I havent gotten to shoot some yet that I picked up on clearance at Academy. They are a 50 caliber sabot that uses a 44 caliber xtp hp bullet. I am usually a purist only use BP and round ball but for .88 cents a package I figured I would try them out. I also have a sack of just the sabots that I picked up.

[Pancho]

Rogar, I think we'd all be interested in how different rounds will work in that fast twist short barrel.

[sixgun MAK]

I have a friend whose dad killed a 400# black bear with a third model dragoon. One shot, dropped within sight. I know it's different than what you asked, but maybe that will give you confidence in what you are planning. Best of luck.

[Pancho]

In the United States Bears,Bulls, and Boars need to have more than one shot available to the hunter. Either in the gun or a back up gun.

[rogar]

ok, i tried the powerbelt 230 grain aerotips...extremely accurate with 60grains of 3f pinnacle. 2 " groups at 40yards. the first loaded so easily that I wasn't sure I'd want to go stomping through the woods with it. The 2nd and 3rd loaded with increasing difficulty that i felt i could get away with stalk hunting with them.
I also tried patched round .490 balls, they were satisfactory at 40 yards (3" group), but that was with 40 grains of powder...any more than that, the holes were all over the place.
TCsabots with 200 grain hollw point 45's performed about the same as the powerbelts but only needed 50 grains of powder.
I tried the TC 370 grain maxiballs w/ 60 grains of powder again, this time at 40 yds off a bench 3" group. the recoil on that load is awesome! just feels like that's what I want to take up agianst some of the hogs I've seen.

[Perk]

As mentioned, have spent some time messing around with air guns, in my other life. Started out small, with air power replicas, which helped keep my hand in for the real thing. But, eventually got into .22 cal. and 9mm. pneumatic rifles. For hunting purposes, anything more is overkill where I live. The local regs don’t allow one to pursue much more than large birds and small game, with an air gun.

Elsewhere, have come across several individuals, who’ve taken down goats, feral hogs, deer, small bears and even a 2,000 pound Bison using 9mm. and .45 cal. air guns.

Generally, the rifles employed were of the single shot persuasion – making shot placement a priority. Personally, given only one shot at a time (between projectile reloads), for the primary weapon, I’d have an additional something substantial, at my hip, as well. Also, heare thar be mountain lions.

Believe your .50 cal. pistol is a tad more powerful than a standard .45 cal. air rifle (although there are some custom numbers, out there, which can really crank out the foot pounds). Seems you should be alright.